Artist bio
Micaila Abboud is a Lebanese-Canadian ceramic artist based in Punamu'kwati'jk (Dartmouth), the traditional and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq, in what is now called Nova Scotia. Her work is shaped by a lifelong relationship with the Atlantic Ocean, having grown up along the province’s Eastern Shore. Surrounded by tidal pools and granite outcrops, she developed a deep connection to marine life and coastal environments, a connection that later evolved into a formal study of marine science.
Micaila holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in marine environmental sciences from Memorial University of Newfoundland. Her scientific training continues to inform her artistic practice, grounding it in ecological awareness while opening space for emotional and sensory exploration. Her academic journey deepened her understanding of the ocean, but it also stirred a desire to communicate what science could not: the emotional, almost sacred connection she felt to its depths.
Using a combination of wheel throwing and handbuilding with stoneware clay, she sculpts coral-inspired forms and coastal textures that blur the line between natural artifact and contemporary sculpture. Her pieces explore the tension between beauty and fragility, inviting viewers to reflect on the vulnerability of marine ecosystems and the urgent need to protect them.
Artist CV
EDUCATION
Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador
Master of Marine Studies, Concentration in Marine Spatial Planning and Management — September 2020 – May 2022
Bachelor of Technology, Concentration in Engineering and Applied Science — September 2017 - August 2019
Diploma of Technology , Concentration in Marine Environmental Studies — September 2014 - April 2018
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXHIBITIONS
Solo Exhibition, Janey Gallery, Cambridge, ON – Solo Exhibition June 6-August 1, 2026
International Group Exhibition, 1000 Vases, Paris, France – Paris Design Week – September 10-13, 2026
Art Toronto National Art Fair, Toronto, ON— Represented by Janey Gallery — October 23-26 2025
Group Exhibition, Janey Gallery, Cambridge, ON — Inaugural Exhibition “The Empress” — September 18- October 28, 2025
Group Exhibition, Bref Gallery, Montréal, QC — Petit Magasin: 100 Vases Amphora and floral inspired treasures — July 31-August 31, 2025
Group Exhibition, Ice House Gallery, Tatamogoush, NS — Triumphs in Clay: A Dynamic Ceramic Panoramic — November 2 - December 15, 2024
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WORK AND TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Pottery Instructor (Adults) George Dixon Community Centre, Halifax, NS
Instructor for a 10-week ceramics program January 2026 – Present
Pottery Instructor (Adults) – North Preston Community Centre, North Preston, NS
Instructor for an 8-week adult ceramics program — September 2025 – Present
Pottery Instructor (Children) North Preston Community Centre, North Preston, NS
Instructor for an 8-week child and parent ceramics program — September 2025 – Present
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WORKSHOPS AND COMMUNITY COLLABORATION ACTIVITIES
Sip & Sculpt Workshops, Almonak, Halifax, NS — September 2025-Present
- Ongoing community clay workshops focused on sculptural handbuilding
- Facilitating accessible, social creative experiences for adults
Clay for a Cause, Dalhousie Unity in Business Society, Halifax, NS — December 2025
- Designed and facilitated a community clay workshop for Dalhousie students in collaboration with the Dalhousie Unity in Business Society
- Donated 100% of workshop proceeds to men’s mental health initiatives
Sip & Sculpt Fundraiser IKEA Halifax, Halifax, NS – November, 2025
- Community clay workshop in support of Bryony House
- Led a guided sculptural handbuilding experience for participants
Sip & Sculpt: Community Workshop Series, Byron Café, Halifax, NS – July 2025 – September 2025
- Monthly community-based sculptural clay workshops
- Focused on gathering participants to explore form, texture, and creative process
Children’s Clay Workshop, Back to the Sea Centre, Halifax, NS – August 2024
- Facilitated a hands-on clay workshop for children focused on handbuilding techniques
- 100% of proceeds donated back to the Back to the Sea Centre in support of ocean education programming
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MENTORSHIPS
Nova Scotia Potters Guild 2025-2026 Mentee, Halifax, NS – May 2025-Present
- Accepted into a year-long mentorship and paired with a professional ceramicist, receiving individualized guidance in ceramic techniques and professional development
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRESS
“Things I Coveted at Art Toronto,” Chad Burton Studio, Toronto ON — October 2025
Curated by Chad Burton, the video brought together a selection of works encountered at Art Toronto that captured his personal attention and interest.
Deanne Fitzpatrick Studio Artist Talk, Amherst, NS — March 2025
Featured artist for an artist talk broadcasted on Deanne’s weekly video series, speaking to ceramic practice, influences, and artistic process.
Though clay transforms into something enduring once fired, its malleability and ability to record every touch, shift, and pressure mirrors the sensitivity of marine life to environmental change.
— Micaila Abboud
Artist Statement
My practice explores the intersection of material memory and ecological grief. Though clay transforms into something enduring once fired, its malleability and ability to record every touch, shift, and pressure mirrors the sensitivity of marine life to environmental change. It becomes a vessel for meditating on loss, adaptation, and the quiet collapse of ecosystems.
I am drawn to forms that persist and those that fade: coral skeletons, calcified shells, eroded rock, and the architectures of survival. These structures carry both warning and wonder. They hold stories of resilience while also speaking to a world in the midst of unraveling. My work is an invitation to notice, to feel, and to care more deeply for what lies beneath the surface.
